Street-car sign.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

C.V L. PENPIBLD. STREET GAR SIGN.

APPLIUATIQN FILED rms. 24. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

N0 MODEL.

www

u N w No. 738,569. PATETED vSEPT. 8, 1903.

C. L. PBNFIELD. 'Y

STREET GAR SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 24, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ivo. 738,569.

UNIfEDATES;

Iatented September 8, 1905;.

APATENT OFFICE.

`STREET-CAR SIGN.

SPECIFICATION `forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,569,6.ated September 8, 1903.

. Application filed February 24, 1903 Serial No. 144,648. (No model.) A

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES L. PENFIELD, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massacl1usetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in street-car signs, and more particularly to such class of signs in which electric or other la mps are employed for so illuminating the sign that the route indicating names or Vrcharacters borne by the sign will be visible at night.

The objects of this invention are to provide in a simple manner a multiple sign, so that without substitution or replacement a part of the sign maybe positioned for various route indications and so that foret-her or further route indications beyond the scope of a given sign such may be acquired by the mere replacement, in a convenient and easy manner, of an interchangeable part of the sign which is of a simple and comparatively inexpensive form and character, to provide means for the proper constraint and for the changing of the position of the shiftable part of the sign, and,

to provide in conjunction therewith means for the support of the electric lamps and the wiring therefor in such manner as not tointervfere with or be interfered with by the external movable shell either while having its position changed under rotation or while being removed from the body of the sign and replaced by another shell of similar form Vand dimension, but having different route-indicating words or characters.

The invention consists in a sign having features and characteristics as hereinafter set forth and in constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and rendered apparent in the accompanying drawings and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l shows in transverse vertical sections a portion of the roof or deck of the 'car and 'is furthermore a longitudinal central section of the improved sign which ranges above and across the end portion of the car-roof. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end portion of the sign, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view i of the lower end portion with a part of the device which is shown in elevation in Fig. l next thereabove. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation as seen on line 5 5, Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation as seen on line G 6, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, A represents the car roof or deck, having the upstanding U-shaped brackets or yokes B B, in which is mounted the cylindrical hollow sign-body C at portions thereof near but somewhat within the ends thereof, as shown. In and along the bottom of the cylindrical body C is a bar or cleat a, and one end of the body at c is confined to the bracket in any suitable manner. The other end confinement at b, as shown, is accomplished by the bolt d, which passes upwardly through a perforation d2 therefor in the bracket and through a perforation d3 in the bottom of the body and through the cleat, the same receiving at its upper end the thumbnut d4. In the front of the hollow cylindrical body is a long aperture or window D,

for which preferably is provided a covering of material which is suitably non-excluding of light. instance, as milk-white Celluloid, porcelain, ground glass or the like, or transparent glassmight be employed, but not so advan-f tageously.

Gr represents a cylindrical shell having character-apertures f to form words or route indications along different lines thereof, so that any thereof may be brought into registry or coincidence with the front window or aperture D of the body.

Inasmuch as many characters-such as O, D, P, Q, and the like-must be formed as letters are formed in stencil-plate and so thatthere may not be a direct rubbing contact of the stencil-like outer rotatable shell on the body, the outer shell has at its opposite ends inturned portions g, which closely adhereto the body and insure the space, as indicated at h, between the major portion of the inner surface of the shell and the periphery of the body, so that the letter-apertures may not by the margins thereof when the shell is rotated, if possibly sprung, interlock or engage with the margins of the window or aperture D of the body. The shell has at its cnd corre A translucent material-such, forl IOO spending to the one where the body may be detached from its confinement with the bracket and lifted or separated slightly therefrom, as shown in Fig. l, the ixed bevel gearwheel J, which meshes, when the sign is properly positioned and restrained in the location indicated by the dotted lines fr, with the bevel gear-wheel J2 at the upper end of the short vertical shaft K, rotatable in a journal-hub therefor fitted through the car-roof, and at the lower end of this shaft is a circular or wheel-like enlargement t', having in its outer circumference at regularly-spaced intervals notches j for the engagement therein of the spring click or detent fm, which assures that when the wheel is manually turned-it will be automatically checked to correspondingly check the gear-connected rotatable shell with one of the lines of character-apertures therein directly opposite the window in the body.

The rotatable shell may have four lines of character-apertures f within the scope of its circumference-such, for instance, as to give route indications of Springfeld,7 Bright- Wc-od, Glenwood,and Maple St.-While in order to have route indications established in a convenient way-for instance, Westfield, Chicopee,7 Holyoke, and Agawam-it is only necessary to detach the connection in the manner illustrated i'n Fig. l at one end of the sign, lift the body thereat slightly endwise, withdraw the first shell and its gear, slide on the second one, and again confine the parts. The brackets serve as stops for the ends of the rotatable shell, preventing longitudinal shucking thereof.

The cleat ci forms the su pport for the lampbrackets o o, and the electric lamps M thereby supported have the current wires q all brought` to connection therewith by entrance through the one end of the body at a point outside of the bracket opposite from thev bracket relatively to which the cylindrical body is disconnected and separated,vas before described, for interchanging one shell for another. The ends of the cylindrical body are shown as formed oblique and as represented at i and have therefor and in the planes thereof closures of glass of translucent character and each of which may be of a single color or combinations of colors to serve as route indications supplemental or auxiliary to those constituted by the line of letter-apertures f, and the oblique arrangement thereof renders these end indications visible to persons on the sidewalk of a street down which a car may be coming.

I may make some minor modifications or departures in manners of detail from those herein shown and specifically described without departing from my said invention.

I claiml. A street-car sign comprising a cylindrical body arranged to inclose illuminating means and having a light-opening along its front portion, and a rotatably-supported cylindrical membersnrroundng said body, said latter member having character-apertures in lines disposed so as to register with said lightopening on the rotation of said member.

2. A street-car sign comprising a cylindrical body arranged to inclose illuminating means and having a light-opening along its front portion, and a cylindrical member surrounding said body and rotatable thereon, said latter member having character-apertures in lines disposed so as -to register with the light-opening on the rotation of the said member.

3. Astreet-carsign comprising a stationary cylindrical body having a light-opening in its front portion, means ofillumination arranged inside of the said body, and acylindrical member surrounding said body and rotatable thereon, said latter member having characterapertures disposed in lines so as to register with the light-openingin the said body on the rotation of the said body.

4. A street-car sign comprisinga stationary cylindrical body having a light-opening in its front portion, means of illumination located inside of said body, and a cylindrical member rotatably mounted on said body and readily removable therefrom, said latter member having character-apertures disposed in lines so as to register with the light-opening in said body on the rotation of the said member.

5. A street-car sign comprising a stationary cylindrical body having a light-opening in its front portion, means of illumination located inside of the body, anda cylindrical shell surrounding said body and rotatable thereon, said shell having character-apertures disposed in lines so as to register with the lightopening in said body on the rotation of the body, said shell having its end portions only engaging the said body and the intermediate portion slightly separatedfrom the body.

6. A street-car sign consisting of a hollow body, having an end or ends thereof oblique to the length of such body, closures for said ends in the oblique planes thereof and composed of translucent material, and means of iilumination internally located in said hollow body.

7. A street-car sign consisting of a hollow stationary cylindrical body having along the front thereof an aperture, and a covering of translucent material therefor, a shell rotatable about the cylindrical body having character-apertures in different lines therealong, and means for illumination located within the hollow body. 8. A street-car sign consisting of a hollow cylindrical metallic shell having an aperture along its front and a covering of light-colored translucent material therefor, and a cylindrical shell rotatable about said body being eX- ternally of a contrasting color from that of said aperturecovering,and having characterapertures along different longitudinal lines thereof. v

9. A street-car sign consisting of a hollow cylindrical metallic shell having an aperture ICJO IIO

along its front and having the ends thereof formed oblique, and closures or coverings of translucent material in the planes of the oblique ends and also for said longitudinal opening, means for illumination within the cylindrical body, a shell surrounding, and rotatable about, said body having characterapertures along dierent lines thereof, and means for rotationally moving said shell to bring any of the character-linesin coincidence with the front opening.

10. In a street-car sign in combination, a cylindrical hollow body having an aperture therethrough in a longitudinal line along its front, and supports by which said body is heldin a fixed position, engaged with the body adjacent the ends thereof, and said body being detachable and separable from one of said end supports, and a cylindrical shell adapted to telescopically engage about the shell and to have a position between the end supports for the body, and to be restrainedagainst endwise movements by said supports, said shell having character-apertures along different lines thereof, and means for rotationally moving said shell around on the cylindrical body.

l1. In a street-car sign, in combination, a cylindrical body having 'a long aperture through its front and supports for the body.

adjacent the ends thereof withone of which the body has .a detachable connection and from which it is separable, a cylindrical shell having character-apertures in different lines thereof adapted to be telescopically engaged about the body at the end of the latter'which is separable from its support, one or more electric lamps supported within thebody and current-wires thereforentering the body at the endportion thereof outside of the support which is opposite from the one at which the shell is telescoped thereover, and means accessible for actuation below the car-roof for rotating the cylindrical shell.

l2. In a street-car sign, in combination, the car roof or deck having separated U-shaped brackets, the cylindrical shell having the longitudinal aperture in its front, and support-y tachable whereby the body may be raised and separated from the one bracket, a cleat or bar in and along the base of the body having electric-lamp supports and electric lamps supported thereby, wires entering the hollowT body at its one end outside of the bracket thereat and connected with said lamps the shell telescopically arranged relatively to the body having character-apertures in different lines therealong, a gear-wheel affixed on said shell, a shaft extending through the car-roof having at its upper part the gear-wheel and at its lower part a rotating handle for the purposes set forth.

13. In a street-car sign, in combination, the car-roof having the upstanding separated U- shaped brackets at its top, the vertical shaft therethrough having the bevel gear-wheel at its upper end and having a circular enlarge# ment at its bottom portion provided with a detent series of notches, and a spring-detent coacting therewith, the cylindrical body having the aperture along its front and a translucent covering therefor, and having a bar ranging'in and along the bottom thereof, said body being supported at portions within the ends thereof by said brackets, a fastening means for connecting one end portion of the bodywith its corresponding bracket, and a screw passing through the other bracket and the wall of the body at the end portion thereof, and having the detachable coniiningnut therefor, for the purpose set forth, the cylindrical shell having character-apertures in dierent lines therealong, having at its one end the bevel-gear 'and adapted to encircle the body with its ends in engagement within and adjacent the inner faces of the brackets,

and wires entering the body at the end thereof 9o I Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts,

in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES L. PENFIELD.

Witnesses:

A. V. LEAHY, WM. S. BELLow's. 

